يَقولُ وَلَو أَنَّ اللَيالي خُصومُهُ

يَقولُ وَلَو أَنَّ اللَيالي خُصومُهُ

وَيَمضي وَلَو أَنَّ النُجومَ مَطالِبُهْ

وَيَمضي وَلَو أَنَّ النُجومَ مَطالِبُهْ

He speaks, even if the nights are his foes,

He says, though the nights were his foes

And presses on, even if the stars are his goals.

And the stars rose against him, demanding,

مَحارِيبُهُ تُثني عَلى صَلَواتِهِ

مَحارِيبُهُ تُثني عَلى صَلَواتِهِ

وَلَكِن عَلى الأَعقابِ يَثني مُحارِبُه

وَلَكِن عَلى الأَعقابِ يَثني مُحارِبُه

His prayer niches praise his prayers,

The faithful still praised him in prayer,

Yet his foe turns back upon his heels.

Yet only his enemies bent their backs to him.

جَنائِبُ في بَحرِ العَجاجِ سَفائِنٌ

جَنائِبُ في بَحرِ العَجاجِ سَفائِنٌ

فَإِن حُرِّكَت لِلرَكضِ فَهيَ جَنائِبُه

فَإِن حُرِّكَت لِلرَكضِ فَهيَ جَنائِبُه

Led horses are ships in a sea of swirling dust;

Ships lie at anchor in the ocean of tumult

So, if set galloping, they are his led horses.

Set them racing, they are ships under his command.

وَقَد خَفَقَت راياتُهُ فَكَأَنَّها

وَقَد خَفَقَت راياتُهُ فَكَأَنَّها

أَنامِلُ في عُمرِ العَدُوِّ تُحاسِبُه

أَنامِلُ في عُمرِ العَدُوِّ تُحاسِبُه

And his banners have fluttered, as though they were

His banners have stirred and risen as though

Fingers counting out the enemy's lifespan.

They were fingers counting the lifetime of the foe.